Time Well Spent
by SistineWhisphers
Summary: Harry is a curse breaker/archaeologist. I'm not going to spoil the plot so read and review!
1. Chapter 1

He could be anything he wanted, all he had to do was apply himself and work hard. That is what he had been told his entire life and that is what he believed. For that reason, Harry Potter found himself in Hufflepuff house.

The day of the sorting found his mother, Lily Potter resident Dark Arts professor surprised but extremely happy that her son was in a house known for loyalty and hard work. His father, James Potter who was an Unspeakable was also extremely pleased. They both had known that Harry had high aspirations for his life. From a young age he knew what he wanted. A life of wondering, freedom to go where he pleased, study the past in peace, and also a bit of adventure. "Growing up on Indiana Jones will do that to you…" would be his mother's response when other's questioned why young Harry wanted to be a Curse Breaker.

As the years went by, Harry showed an aptitude for his chosen field, taking to runes, dark art, and mathematics (a combination of muggle mathematics and arithmancy) like a fish to water. The one thing that always worried his parents was his lack of social life, for what little social life someone in a boarding school could have. Harry always had trouble making friends but did have a couple. Bill Weasley, whom wanted to do something with runes in the future, was a study partner from Gryffindor and there was also Bill's younger brother, Charlie whom was in love with dragons. Other than lack of friends and seemingly lack of interest in the opposite sex, Harry performed admirably in school. He never did play any sport seriously as he lacked his father's skill with a broom.

Soon came graduation, Harry being in the top 5 percent of his graduating class passed with honors. He even scored a distinction in Runes and Mathematics. As that step in his life ended, Harry was accepted to the Stanford University for archeology. This was a portion of his life that seemed to stretch forever to both Lily and James as Harry was gone to the States for over 8 years. The only time they had seen Harry was at his graduation 5 years prior and that is when he started his doctorate studies. His letters home indicated that he was always doing great, his studies were taking him all over the world and that he would be done with his degree soon.

Finally the day came and it found James and Lily standing in the audience as the doctorate candidates were presented with their hard earned degrees. Harry looked the spitting image of his father but with his mother's eyes and at the age of 25 would be receiving a degree that most people double his age did not possess.

They had all celebrated that night, both Harry's graduation and his younger sister's acceptance into Hogwarts. Unlike Harry she had no idea what she wanted for her future and Harry had always told her that made her smarter then him. Little Eve would always giggle and hug her older brother.

Once back on British soil and at the Potter residence, Harry immediately began looking for employment. After what seemed like months but was actually a couple of weeks, he was hired by a company called Iverson and Sons Inc. The company was a globe expanding firm that was interested in excavating ancient tombs and learning anything of cultural and magical interest. They used all research to fund medical, technological, and scholarly advances in all parts of the world. Harry was immediately taken with the motto and soon moved out of the Potter home and into a flat near the company in Central London.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for his entire life. The job allowed him to travel the world and dig up amazing sites. His favorites were always the African sites. Consequently they were the most dangerous. His mother's Dark Arts training had seen him through them all. He had made a name for himself in both the magical and muggle world. He had been the one to discover that a lost tribe in Kenya had in fact managed to subjugate the precursor to the deadly Nuduu cat and when the tribe was wiped out, the cats in a rage absorbed the magical essence in the air and had become the beasts that roam the Sahara Desert. In the muggle world he had discovered a new civilization that worshiped the bones of the long dead Tiatnoboa in South America.

All this travel had made Harry not want to settle down, much to the disappointment of Lily whom wanted grandchildren. Harry was actually a bit of a ladies man, James and Sirius were so proud and Remus kept his pride to himself each time they found out about a new girl, not that there were a lot. Only 5 to date and it had been 4 years since Harry had started his travels. It wasn't that bad considering Harry was catching up on dating now instead of in his youth.

* * *

This all brings us to the present situation in the Potter house. Eve was sitting with her brother going over some runes notes for the coming year, her 5th when the fireplace flared green and out walk Lily Potter and Ron Weasley. Ron was practically the mirror image of Bill at 15, tall and lanky, looking awkward in his own skin. "Hi Eve…" he trailed looking down slightly, "you ready for today?" Eve, whom Harry new his sister had a crush on the ginger, nodded and kissed her brother's cheek before grabbing Ron's hand and dragging him out the door. "We'll be back later bye!" was heard before the door shut.

Harry just shook his head before hearing a cough. Starring at him was his mother with an arched eyebrow. "No mum… I am not going to get married anytime soon." This was his go to response to the look. "But sweetie…" "Mum I like my life how it is and let's be honest. Which woman is going to stay with me when all I do is travel?" Lily had heard this before and sighed. He was right of course but she still was looking forward to grandbabies soon! "Fine… anyway that wasn't what I needed to talk to you about. Your father needs some help with an ancient site and the ministry is contacted your firm to hire you for this job." She fished out a folder from the stack of files on the coffee table. "This is all the info we were able to get. The place reeks of dark magic rituals so they called me in. My full report is there as well."

The tone his mother was using was that of a colleague and Harry treated her as such. "Ok let's see what we've got…" He opened the files and flipped through them. 'That's some nasty magic… blood magic… necro magic… necro?' he thought slightly alarmed. "Necro magic? Mum tell me no has touched the site?" "Of course not, they went poking around but no one actually touched anything. We need an expert. That is you." She didn't sound too happy about his expertise needing to be used in such an obviously dangerous work site but he was the best.

"Alright… I'll contact Iverson and set up a date. Guess I'm headed to the Gobi Desert!" Lily frowned slightly, "Don't need to sound so happy…" Harry just smiled and kissed his mother's cheek. "Cheer up mum it'll be fine!" "For your sake you better hope so!" Laughter was left in the wake of green flames.

* * *

"Minister we have received the response and the company is sending Potter to us in a few days" was the report the young interning witch gave the current Minister Amelia Bones. "Thank you Cho, please see that preparations for his assignment are done and call Commander Black and Unspeakable Potter. I have things to discuss with both men…" "Right away minister" Cho, a pretty Ravenclaw of Asian descent who was a shoe in to do well in politics, stated and started her task immediately.

Amelia Bones was a powerhouse and everyone knew it. She had the political clout of the Bones family name and the magical power of someone close to the now 10 years passed Albus Dumbledore. The only person more magically powerful then her was the deceased warlocks apprentice Tom Riddle. Though that would change in the future, her niece, who attended Westfield was gaining in magical prowess and had garnered the attention of Riddle. She was the front runner for his apprenticeship and would do the family proud. As she was distracted, Amelia almost missed the entrance of the two men that together could battle her to a standstill. James Potter was her top Unspeakable, his area of study was destruction magic, magic's for the battle mages and he was an expert in using them. Sirius Black was another story. He was highly intelligent when it came down to strategy and was a high ranking field commander for the battle mage group that handled special ops with their muggle counterparts, the SAS.

"Gentlemen. Please sit." Both men sat and eyed her warily. Amelia Bones had risen to the top of the mountain and the rumors were that she had stepped on a few 'bones' to do so. Both men would not become another stepping for her ambitions. "The operation code named Dusk is happening. We will need both the battle teams and strike team's ready deployment. Commander Black are your forces ready?" Sirius nodded, "yes mam' all battle teams are prepped and waiting take off orders. The strike teams are also in route and should be at Center Base within the next two hours." "Good, Master Potter what of the chanters?"

James handed Amelia a folder containing Unspeakable profiles. "Those are the men and women chosen. All are the best and most experienced in chant circles and dark magic. My wife and son will also be on site so we should be fine." He hoped so anyway, chanters were the Unspeakable black ops group. Versed in the dark arts and rituals, they were only brought in when the foulest of magic's was used. "Good… Very good. Let us hope then that this is nothing but remnant magic and nothing more…" Both men nodded hoping the same.

* * *

Malcom Iverson was a stocky young man, only coming to about 5 foot 8 inches, he was a head shorter than the two men walking beside him. One of the two men was Harry Potter, who joined the company the same year Malcom took the reins from his father. The other was Bill Weasley, whom was recommended by Harry as a backup Curse Breaker. Malcom had read Weasley's profile and was impressed. Outside of private firms like Iverson's, where breakers get the most experience, Bill Weasley had obtained an impressive amount of firsthand knowledge on some of the scarier curses in Egypt. "Harry are the drop ships ready?" Harry leaned over the rail on the cat walk the three were trekking and said "Yeah boss… we really gotta give these things a name… drop ship just sounds too manufactory-ish…" "Well when you come up with a name that didn't sound like it came out of a video game" Harry just sniggered and the three stopped while each took a turn going down the narrow stairs. Once at the bottom floor, the three loaded up into the drop ship and as the back hatch closed, they felt the repulsion engines ignite and lift the ship into the air. The pilot looked back "20 minutes to deployment zone sir. Might want to buckle up. It's gonna get bumpy today!" The three sat down and started to discuss the upcoming assignment. "Ok Bill, Harry is used to our operations involving a hell of a lot of muggle tech." Bill nodded "I can see that. I've never seen anything like this craft…" "It works better then magical transportation to these sites. Muggle tech doesn't scramble around chaotic magic but if you get close enough your magic will go haywire" Harry explained, "better to use muggle tech from the get go and use as little magic as possible." Malcom took over from there, "We deploy two days' time, and you'll get some weapons training and basic gear fitted for this assignment. Potter you got the detail schematics of the monument?"

Harry clicked a button on the wall behind him and a hologram of the satellite infrared imaged building clicked to life in front of the three. "Defensive runes are located in a cluster around the three sides other than the obvious entrance to the site. The site entrance is a real runes monster. From Professor Potter's report there are some extremely complex animation runes and no sign of a control rune…" Bill's eyes narrowed, "The control rune must be inside then. Those animation runes are another defensive mechanism." "Agreed, Potter we will be analyzing the runes from the air first and if we can find any opening into the building that is safe, take it" Malcom's face was hard, "I do not like the energies coming from this site… it is troubling."


	2. Chapter 2

Two days had passed without much excitement for Bill, well except for the weapons training. Muggles really were dangerous, the weapons, assault rifles, where devastating to any magical shield produced. Only physical barriers stopped the bullets and then they had to be extremely thick or strong. The armor was another story. Skin tight body suit designed to keep the body at optimal temperature, military pants and boots made up the main portion of the gear. A heavy plated vest and fore arm gloves with a tactical helmet finished up the set and all colored in desert browns and whites. It was a hell of a work out for Bill but he managed.

"We had military training from three different special ops group's professionals, SEAL's, Israeli Commandos, and SAS. They created a unique program for our operatives. Everyone joining the company has to go through our version of basic" Harry had stated the first day as Bill got his crash course in basic Iverson and Sons Inc. field tactics. Bill had been impressed. No wonder wizards and witches secretly feared muggles. They were good at war. Really good. The drop ship technology was impressive and so was the protection the equipment offered. 'Just a few hours and we will see how good this stuff handles magic…' Bill thought as he packed his two duffle bags and headed for the lift zone.

* * *

All the magic wielders had been warned that they would be traveling via muggle technology. Most were apprehensive while a few dismissed the notion with arrogance. Lily knew better. The tech would be nothing short of invaluable on this expedition. One was the obvious cause of keeping everyone magically fresh, another would be to provide equipment that was not affected by magic, and the last was the most important. It would provide them with a means of combating whatever was waiting for them. Lily knew, just like James and Sirius, that sometimes chaotic magic could not be fought with magic. Sometimes you needed to muggle tactics to beat the erratic forces.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the entire magical contingent landed near the lift zone of Center Base and beheld the dropships. There were five of them. Bulky frames at least ten feet tall and seven feet wide they looked like rectangles with curved edges. Wings jutted out on either side of the ships and expanded about twenty feet each. They were about twenty five feet in length, not including the cockpit which added an extra five feet for the sitting pilot. They looked spacious. Walking up to one of them, Lily took care to avoid the jets of steam coming out from under what looked like wing's main engine, and looked inside. 'Spacious…" she had guessed correctly, inside was a row of ten seats per side and what looked like overhead compartments. Even a weapons rack and a storage of some strange harnesses she'd never seen before. "Those are jumper… if we ever have to evac you put on one and jump. The rockets activate automatically when in close proximity of the ground or can be used manually by someone that has been trained to use them" said a familiar masculine voice behind Lily. She turned and hugged the body that accompanied the voice, "Harry Potter, there better not be any jumping on this trip!"

Harry smiled and after spinning his mother once put her down. Like any mother, Lily had a special connection with her first born, the fact that said first born was male just made her want to baby him forever, and she did. Even in front of others. "Lily let the poor man breath!" Sirius came up behind Harry and clapped the armor clad man on his shoulder. "You ready for this kid?" Harry could see the amusement in his godfather's eyes and grinned, a smile that he did not know made a couple of the female chanters blush, "That's my line… now where's the old man?"

"Who're you calling old squirt?" James Potter gave his soon a mock glare before settling down into a soft smile. He looked his son over and could not help but be proud of the man he had become. Harry was garbed in the desert colored clothing of the other operatives but with the distinct patch on his arm that singled his as operations lead. This was his task. James knew his son had never had a hard life but the fact that he worked so hard at something he loved made him the proudest father, though if anyone asked him he was proud that his son was a lady's man!

Before anything more could be said, a burly, thick armed man shouted for the operatives to stand at attention. At once all movement turned chaotic as the men lined up. Harry not being an operative just sat down on a few crates and waited. Harry's boss, Malcom Iverson walked out from the closest building marked 'Hanger 4' and stopped in front of the men and women assembled. "For the last three weeks this facility has been preparing for this operation. Do not doubt for a second that your lives are not in danger. They are…" He eyed them for a minute, "I want everything by the book out there. Professor Potter is lead with orders being distributed by Sergeant Maxis. Any questions?" None came. "Alright… you have your assignments… load up!"

The flight crews began to give out the marching orders and Maxis stepped up to Harry. "Professor you'll be in craft one with myself and the other leads." Harry nodded and signaled his parents and Sirius to follow him. They made their way onto the drop ship with no one else following and before the three new comers knew what was happening, the ship closed its back hatch and lifted off. As they sat, a hologram of the temple clicked to life in front of them. Sirius' eyes widened. "Wow… fancy equipment you all have…" Maxis just grunted "It's necessary for our briefing. Professor if you would?"

Nodding his head to the front, Harry stood and pointed at the entrance of the ruins. "According to initial data we won't be getting in any of the traditional ways. Heavy runic magic is protecting the four main avenues of entrance and honestly probably from the top and bottom… we can't be sure until we get to ground zero." Lily and James nodded while Sirius studied the structure. "So what will we be doing?"

Maxis pointed at the two elder Potter's, "Dark Mistress Potter will be examining the ruin entrances with Professor Potter. Unspeakable Potter will be providing any gaps in knowledge while also laying down wards with the chanters. Commander Black, you and your men will be providing long distance coverage for our people. You'll be pairing one of your troops with two of our detail and commence a sweep of the area to make sure no other sites have activated. Professor Potter believes there might be more than one…" James' cocked his head slightly "Why would you think there is more than one site?" Harry smile was confidant but still seemed to stress the danger they were all flying into. "The sight is definitely Serpen in nature and they were a globe expanding tribe when magic was still young. If they are the cause of this… anomaly… then they have more than one site. I can guarantee that." The Serpen were the civilization Harry had discovered a few months back. They worshipped the ancient snake Titanoboa and were actually magic users whom used animation magic to create stone monuments of the giant snakes. These stone snakes were actually protectors and would come to life should someone approach the ruins. Harry had to use a considerable amount of dark magic and bullets to finally put the granite monster down.

* * *

Tom Riddle was for the first time in a long time baffled. He had always been keen to keep track of the on goings of the world. One could not be a leader of the world's strongest magical conglomerate and not keep up with the dealings of his allies and competitors. On the competitor side was the company Iverson and Sons Inc. While a small company in compression, they more than made up for their seemingly lack of infrastructure growth with talent. One of the said talents was Harry Potter. Tom knew his mother, having taught her dark arts personally, while not very powerful she was extremely talented in picking up the dark spells so she became an instant success. So in knowing the mother Tom kept tabs on the son and daughter. Now Eve Potter would be powerful, far more powerful than the Bones girl, he knew that just by looking at the youngest Potter. But that is no surprise, her grandfather was Fleamont Potter and his power was known to rival Dumbledore in his prime. No the surprise came at the eldest Potter off spring. In the last four years his power base seemed to have decreased but his magical control index has shot quite literally through the roof.

To put in perspective, a witch or wizards power base is how much magic they have available to them d this is comparable to their control index, the higher their score the less magic they must use to make a spell work. So while Harry Potter, who has always been above average in reserve but average in control, dropped to average in quantity of magic his control rating now makes him the number three ranked magic user in the world. The only two more powerful then Potter were Amelia and himself. Om chuckled in delight 'Oh how that insufferable woman will rant and rave about this… she has hated the Potters since James married Lily instead of her' the glee on his face was starting to scare his poodle, Tootsie.

He was getting off track. From what he remembered, Iverson had sent off Potter with his parents and God Parent to the strange site in the Gobi Desert that was producing such strange magically readings. While his own company had nothing to do with digging up the past it did deal in dangerous magic's'. That is why he had sent an informant to the site ahead of time to observe the dealings of the company. He wanted to know if there was anything of value… or power he could you.

* * *

"Ok we've reached location at altitude. Readings are normal. All systems green. Touch down sequence activated." That was the electronic voice coming from the pilot's helmet. Narcissa Malfoy adjusted her tan cloak and prepared to face whatever was on the other side of the drop ship hatch. A few months ago, she'd never imagined she'd be part of this expeditionary force that the ministry had set up. Quite frankly it scared her to trust her life to muggle technology but she knew the risks of operating with large amounts of magic in such a place that the entire group had just arrived at. Disaster was sure to follow on this journey. She checked her issued forearm wand holster before straightening up and hustled out when the drop hatch opened to the blistering sun and a small sand storm. Narcissa vaguely registered her orders before joining up with her assigned squad. A young man, American from his accent, probably from one of the southern states, was the team 'sniper' and the other man, Scottish was the team lead, spotter, and generalist with magic. Narcissa provided the specialized magic in barrier and rune casting. "Ok we will be heading a click west and settling into a fine barrier rotation. I don't want to miss anything so we will be taking it slow" the Scottish man, Stowes stated before he appointed Narcissa point and the sniper, Henderson to bring up the rear.

The trek was long and exhausting though not as much as Narcissa would have thought. The body armor she was provided, as were the rest of the ministry military on this operation, kept her at a reasonable body temperature. When they finally reached their secondary base camp it was still a relief to the young working mother. Some would say the with the Malfoy wealth, Narcissa was a fool for working, especially in such a dangerous profession as a chanter for the Unspeakables. Those people did not know Narcissa very well. She was and always would be a very independent and strong willed woman who loved adventure. The fact that the job took her out of the house and away from Lucius Malfoy was all the better. To point a fine point in the problem, Narcissa was stuck. While the wizarding government of Great Britain had made large strides forward Divorce was still stuck in the middle ages, meaning there were none. Her marriage had failed long before she gave birth to Draco, Lucius was a cheating scumbag to the woman and he had not changed since after she discovered him and his mistress. Now stuck in a loveless marriage and with an apathetic son home every summer, Narcissa jumped at the chance to travel the world on dangerous assignments.

So now she found herself in a desert looking from a distance at possibly the magical world's most dangerous monument… coliseum… worshipping site? Narcissa could not properly describe the location. She figured that was the young Potter's job. "Malfoy… I want you to start scanning in quadrant one. Meet back in an hour with compiled results." "Yes sir." Earlier Stowes had divided their area in four quadrants and assigned boundaries to each team member. Narcissa had one, Henderson, two, and Stowes had three. Four was team base and was scanned before setting up camp.

Narcissa moved off on her own to the quadrant location and began to scan. She could not know that what she stumbled upon that day would set off a chain reaction that would envelope the world.


End file.
